THE MEN BEHIND: A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the impact different people, specifically men, life situations and choices have had on developing a feminine, or not so feminine, outlook on the woman I have become. In order to analyze myself, it became necessary to recall some of the major incidences that have helped to define me; this analysis then created a need to embrace honest truth. I say honest truth because I had developed a version of truth that allowed me to be comfortable and accepting of myself, but honest truth required me to dig deeper than the glossy version of me that I presented to the world. Many of the essays in this collection directly and indirectly point to my father as a key character. I struggled with capturing an accurate version of him without making excuses or allowances for him. By focusing on both his attributes as well as his flaws, I was able to assess the powerful influence he had on my life outlook, some of the standards I still hold dear, in addition to the ones I now reject. I think the contrast between the lessons my father taught me and the choices he made in his own lite represent the struggle many women have between admiring, loving, hating, disapproving of and accepting the men in their lives. In other essays, I examined how the complications of my father-daughter relationship have spilled over into my personal relationships or lack thereof. I looked to two main authors, Mary Karr and Nuala O\u27Faolain, to develop my craft because my struggle with capturing scene verses summary proved the most arduous task I encountered. My writing process became a process of blurting out the basic storyline on to paper-- the rehearsed, safe, glossy version, followed then by a painful, detail-recalling search for how the individuals - my family, friends, and co-workers - interacted with me and impacted me in order to make my history. My essays are about a mid-life look at the woman I am, in order to be able to work toward becoming a more complete woman -- one who is able to accept love. The questions I asked myself are universal, so I hope these essays will serve as a jumping off point for readers to question their own lives and embrace the truth of their histories

Marine Isotope Stage 11c in Europe:Recent advances in marine–terrestrial correlations and their implications for interglacial stratigraphy – a review

The interglacial known as MIS 11c (c. 426 000–396 000 years ago) receives intensive international interest because of its perceived role as an analogue for the current interglacial and its importance for understanding future climate change. Here we review the current understanding of the stratigraphy of this interglacial in Europe. This study considers (i) the evidence for the environmental history of this interglacial as reconstructed from the varved lake records from northern Europe, (ii) the climate history of MIS 11c as preserved in the long pollen records of southern Europe and (iii) a comparison of both of these with marine records from the North Atlantic. The result of this review is a discussion of the evidence for millennial and centennial scale climate change found in European records of MIS 11c,the patterns of warming that are seen across this interglacial and the discrepancy in aspects of the duration of this interglacial that seems to exist between the marine and terrestrial records of this warm period. A review of the recent advances in the study of MIS 11c in Europe confirms its importance for understanding both the past evolution of the Holocene and the future patterns of long-term climate change

Virtual tutor support using SMARTHINKING: Preliminary findings

The University of New England (UNE) has been using a virtual tutoring service called SMARTHINKING since 2007. UNE explored the use of a "virtual tutor service" to support distance education students in their academic development; to reduce attrition; and to provide academic support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to all students with access to a computer irrespective of geographical location. A cascading selection of units across different disciplinary areas and cohorts of students were targeted for the virtual tutorial support service over 6 semesters to provide rich data. A survey consisting of 20 questions was developed and implemented at the end of each teaching period. Preliminary analysis of data indicates that SMARTHINKING appears to be making a difference to student learning outcomes. However, while uptake tends to be low in all cohorts but where students select to use the service they are positive about its effects. Keywords: SMARTHINKING, student feedback, virtual feedback Introduction Tertiary institutions have been continuously making use of new technologies to enhance student learning and to improve student competition and retention rates ___________________________________________________________________________________ Proceedings ascilite Sydney 2010: Full paper: McDonell, Parkes & Tynan 596 Since the first pilot in 2008 an evaluation cycle has investigated the use of the virtual tutor support for students called SMARTHINKING. The investigation and evaluation cycle will conclude in 2010. The preliminary findings presented here describe the methodology for the evaluation and an example of the findings at this stage. The research team were interested in how SMARTHINKING is used by students and staff; sentiment towards the use of SMARTHINKING; identification of the reasons for any hesitancy towards the use of SMARTHINKING; best practices examples and evidence of impact for learning; costs and benefits; and any lessons learned. The research will provide recommendations on the investigation of use of tools within about the further use of SMARTHINKING and evaluate use for blockers, issues, and best practices that could be re-used by other groups

What do others think? The why, when and how of using surveys in CBT

Surveys are a powerful technique in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). A form of behavioural experiment, surveys can be used to test beliefs, normalise symptoms and experiences, and generate compassionate perspectives. In this article, we discuss why and when to use surveys in CBT interventions for a range of psychological disorders. We also present a step-by-step guide to collaboratively designing surveys with patients, selecting the appropriate recipients, sending out surveys, discussing responses and using key learning as a part of therapy. In doing so, we hope to demonstrate that surveys are a flexible, impactful, time-efficient, individualised technique which can be readily and effectively integrated into CBT interventions

Process Evaluation of Alcohol Brief Interventions in Wider Settings (Young People and Social Work)

This study aimed to explore the feasibility and acceptability of ABIs delivered to young people and in social work settings. The study did not aim to examine whether individuals who received ABIs changed their drinking behaviour and improved their health but did explore how feasible a future outcome evaluation of ABIs in these settings would be, and the issues and challenges which would be involved in such a study

Setting Up and Running Online Communities of Practice (CoPs) for Veterinary Educators

Communities of practice (CoPs) are social systems consisting of individuals who come together to share knowledge and solve problems around a common interest. For educators, membership of a CoP can facilitate access to expertise and professional development activities and generate new collaborations. This teaching tip focuses on online CoPs and provides tips for setting up and running such communities. The initial planning phase involves establishing the purpose of the CoP, recruiting an administrative team, designing the structure of the online environment, and choosing a platform. Once the online platform is launched, running the CoP involves building the membership, encouraging engagement (primarily in discussion forums), finding ways to create and share useful resources, and sustaining the community as an active and effective CoP. We also describe a specific example of an online CoP for veterinary educators involved in clinical skills teaching. The membership has grown to represent an international community who engage in a range of activities including sharing knowledge, tips and ideas, asking questions, discussing challenges and promoting collaborative activities

Cognitive therapy for PTSD following birth trauma and baby loss: clinical considerations

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after traumatic birth can have a debilitating effect on parents already adapting to significant life changes during the post-partum period. Cognitive therapy for PTSD (CT-PTSD) is a highly effective psychological therapy for PTSD which is recommended in the NICE guidelines (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2018) as a first-line intervention for PTSD. In this paper, we provide guidance on how to deliver CT-PTSD for birth-related trauma and baby loss and how to address common cognitive themes

Changes in cognitive processes and coping strategies precede changes in symptoms during cognitive therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder

Theories of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) highlight the role of cognitive and behavioral factors in its development, maintenance, and treatment. This study investigated the relationship between changes in factors specified in Ehlers and Clark's (2000) model of PTSD and PTSD symptom change in 217 patients with PTSD who were treated with cognitive therapy for PTSD (CT-PTSD) in routine clinical care. Bivariate latent change score models (LCSM) of session-by-session changes in self-report measures showed that changes in PTSD symptoms were preceded by changes in negative appraisals, flashback characteristics of unwanted memories, safety behaviours, and unhelpful responses to intrusions, but not vice versa. For changes in trauma memory disorganization and PTSD symptoms we found a bidirectional association. This study provides evidence that cognitive and behavioral processes proposed in theoretical models of PTSD play a key role in driving symptom improvement during CT-PTSD

e-Assessment for Learning (eAfL) in higher education: is it a wolf in sheep’s clothing?

As an extensive body of research demonstrates, Assessment for Learning (AfL) practices can have a significant impact on student achievement in the schooling sector and over the last decade these practices have gained currency in higher education settings. Digital technologies are increasingly being embedded into university programmes, therefore it is important that the issue of quality learning as socio-political engagement in online higher education settings be carefully examined. In this article the authors, a group of pre-service teacher educators who work with students undertaking initial teacher training, explore key discourses that underpin the application of AfL in higher education digital contexts – eAfL (e-Assessment for Learning). In particular, we critique discourses of ‘learnification’, ‘responsibilisation’ and ‘performativity’ in relation to eAfL. We pose possibilities to be considered for the development of robust practices that promote agency and engage with students’ funds of knowledge, as the socially and culturally located knowledge, skills and dispositions that learners bring to higher education contexts.Charteris et al. e-Assessment for Learning (eAfL) in higher education: is it a wolf in sheep’s clothing

e-Assessment for Learning in Higher Education: Is it a wolf in sheep's clothing?

As an extensive body of research demonstrates, Assessment for Learning (AfL) practices can have a significant impact on student achievement in the schooling sector and over the last decade these practices have gained currency in higher education settings. Digital technologies are increasingly being embedded into university programmes, therefore it is important that the issue of quality learning as socio-political engagement in online higher education settings be carefully examined. In this article the authors, a group of pre-service teacher educators who work with students undertaking initial teacher training, explore key discourses that underpin the application of AfL in higher education digital contexts - eAfL (e-Assessment for Learning). In particular, we critique discourses of 'learnification', 'responsibilisation' and 'performativity' in relation to eAfL. We pose possibilities to be considered for the development of robust practices that promote agency and engage with students' funds of knowledge, as the socially and culturally located knowledge, skills and dispositions that learners bring to higher education contexts.Charteris et al. e-Assessment for Learning (eAfL) in higher education: is it a wolf in sheep's clothing